Florida State Senate

  The upcoming election for the State Senate seat for District 3, formerly held by Nancy Argenziano, could be one of the most important elections ever to face Marion County, and specifically, Dunnellon.

  While ostensibly representing our area, the “Water Lady” (as Senator Argenziano is known by friends (affectionately) and foes (derisively) alike), did nothing to stop out-of-control growth in her district. Nor did she move to protect the precious resource of the Rainbow River; although she made claims to that effect. In fact, she sided with the developer, citing his “riparian rights”, and hosting a meeting in her Capitol office in an attempt to brow-beat state regulators into capitulating to the developer’s wishes. Unfortunately for her, the meeting was attended by some interested citizens, who exposed the scheme. The meeting was then publicized in a certain online publication, which became another straw on the back of the former mayor and his regime.

  Now that Governor Crist has named Ms. Argenziano to the Public Service Commission (and given her a HUGE salary increase), she wants to use the clout she accumulated while in office to apply her imprimatur to Charlie Dean. No offense to Mr. Dean, but winning the endorsement of a ‘lady’ who once sent an opponent a bag of excrement cannot bode well for his campaign’s credibility. Then there is Mr. Dean’s well-known propensity for imbibing to excess, which may serve to hinder his chances at the Brass Ring. Mr. Dean is an ex-Marine, so he gets points for that (Semper Fidelis), but if elected, will he represent Dunnellon or Marion County, or his native county of Citrus?

 
  Candidate #2 is Richard Corcoran. A search for biographical information on Mr. Corcoran turns up very little, except his close ties with Tallahassee lobbyists. His radio campaign ads portray him as a “fighter” for Truth, Justice, and The American Way, but unlike his caped counterpart, he appears to be vulnerable to more than just Kryptonite. I can find no examples of Mr. Corcoran ever having fought for anything in the state. In addition, he is a lawyer, which in my mind, is an indictment in itself. He is obviously pandering to the Greatest Generation among us, by citing his father’s valiant service in WWII. While I honor the senior Mr. Corcoran’s service, I find it rather sleazy for his son to make campaign hay out of it. But then, Mr. Corcoran Jr. is a lawyer.

  Last, but not least, we have Dennis Baxley. Already with a track record in the State House, and notable accomplishments, Mr. Baxley seems to be the best choice of the three. After an informal conversation with Mr. Baxley several weeks ago, I came away quite impressed with his sincerity, as well as his humility. These are both rare qualities in a politician. In addition, and of special interest to Dunnellon, is his promise to safeguard the Rainbow River. He intends to work for the purchase of the disputed riverfront property through the Florida Forever program. This might be taken as an idle campaign promise, but Mr. Baxley was instrumental in the recent purchase of the Arvida property through the FFP.

 
  Those are the choices on the Republican side. The Democrat side is still in a state of flux, and we will examine that when the dust settles.

  The most important point is that the expected turnout for this election is only 11%. That means, more than ever, YOUR VOTE is important. We urge you to exercise your right and fulfill your responsibility and vote in this special election.
See you at the polls!

Editor